Tag Archives: Catholic Church

At the end of the book, Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis Of Assisi (London: R. Washbourne, 1882), is a section titled “Some Prophecies of the Holy Father St. Francis.” On pp. 248-250 is the following prophecy about the Church (paragraph breaks added):

Shortly before he died in 1226, St. Francis of Assisi called together the members of his order and warned them of great tribulations that would befall the Church in the future, saying:

Act bravely, my Brethren; take courage, and trust in the Lord. The time is fast approaching in which there will be great trials and afflictions; perplexities and dissensions, both spiritual and temporal, will abound; the charity of many will grow cold, and the malice of the wicked will increase.

The devils will have unusual power, the immaculate purity of our Order, and of others, will be so much obscured that there will be very few Christians who will obey the true Sovereign Pontiff and the Roman Church with loyal hearts and perfect charity. At the time of this tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will be raised to the Pontificate, who, by his cunning, will endeavour to draw many into error and death.

Then scandals will be multiplied, our Order will be divided, and many others will be entirely destroyed, because they will consent to error instead of opposing it.

There will be such diversity of opinions and schisms among the people, the religious and the clergy, that, except those days were shortened, according to the words of the Gospel, even the elect would be led into error, were they not specially guided, amid such great confusion, by the immense mercy of God.

Then our Rule and manner of life will be violently opposed by some, and terrible trials will come upon us. Those who are found faithful will receive the crown of life; but woe to those who, trusting solely in their Order, shall fall into tepidity, for they will not be able to support the temptations permitted for the proving of the elect.

Those who preserve their fervour and adhere to virtue with love and zeal for the truth, will suffer injuries and, persecutions as rebels and schismatics; for their persecutors, urged on by the evil spirits, will say they are rendering a great service to God by destroying such pestilent men from the face of the earth. But the Lord will be the refuge of the afflicted, and will save all who trust in Him. And in order to be like their Head [Jesus Christ], these, the elect, will act with confidence, and by their death will purchase for themselves eternal life; choosing to obey God rather than man, they will fear nothing, and they will prefer to perish [physically] rather than consent to falsehood and perfidy.

Some preachers will keep silence about the truth, and others will trample it under foot and deny it. Sanctity of life will be held in derision even by those who outwardly profess it, for in those days Jesus Christ will send them not a true Pastor, but a destroyer.

Below are 6 facts for your reflection and discernment:

Fact No. 1

“Church law says a pope’s resignation is valid only if he takes the decision in full freedom and without pressure from others.” (Reuters)

Fact No. 2

On Feb. 28, 2013, after serving 8 years,Pope Benedict XVIstepped down from the papacy. He is the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so on his own initiative since Pope Celestine V in 1294.

Described as “the main intellectual force in the Church” since the mid-1980s, now-Pope Emeritus Benedict was originally a liberal theologian, but adopted conservative views after 1968. A genuine scholar, Benedict’s prolific writings defend traditional Catholic doctrine and values. During his papacy, Benedict XVI advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the increased secularisation of the West. He regards relativism’s denial of objective truth, and the denial of moral truths in particular, as the central problem of the 21st century. Pope Benedict also revived a number of traditions, including elevating the Tridentine Mass to a more prominent position.

Fact No. 3

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and his spokesmen repeatedly deny he was forced to resign. (Reuters)

Fact No. 4

Despite the denials, speculations that Benedict had been forced to resign persist to this day.

“Two years ago this week, [Pope] Benedict’s announcement that he was stepping down for health reasons shocked the Catholic Church and much of the world. It also loosed conspiracy theorists who believe Benedict was forced to resign…. The circumstances surrounding Benedict’s decision to step down have titillated scholars and the journalists alike, especially given the fact that his resignation came not long after the ‘Vatileaks’ scandal. The release of internal Vatican memos, by some accounts, revealed how Benedict’s efforts to reform the church, like provide transparency on the global sex abuse scandal and the management of the Vatican bank, were undercut by internal politics. (The Atlantic)

Fact No. 5

Pope Francis made the cover of Time, New Yorker, Rolling Stone and The Advocate, an LGBT magazine that makes no secret of its problems with previous Popes but chose Francis as “person of the year”. (CNN)

Today, June 3rd, the Universal Church honors St. Charles Lwanga and Companions. Charles is the patron of youth and Catholic action in Africa.

Charles is one of 22 courageous individuals who were martyred for refusing to commit immoral homosexual acts as directed and required by the Bagandan ruler, Mwanga.

Charles learned of Our Lord Jesus Christ’s teachings from retainers in the court of Chief Mawulugungu. He entered the royal household as an assistant to Joseph Mukaso, who was leader of the court pages, and while serving in this capacity, he was a catechumen.

There were 13 to 30 pages Charles protected from Mwanga, who demanded of these individuals to perform deviant sexual activities. Charles and his companions were imprisoned and during this time, Charles taught the Catholic Faith to them.

On June 3, 1886, Charles continued to encourage his companions to resist such mortal sin. He was baptized Catholic on this day, and Charles remained the inspiration for his friends, showing his courage, loyalty and faithfulness, and his love of His Catholic Faith. His example helped to motivate them to resist Mwanga’s ongoing sexual demands, wherein they remained chaste and faithful. On this same day, Mwanga saw to it that Charles was burned to death at Namugongo; and the rest of his companions were also martyred.

On October 18, 1864, all twenty-two Ugandan martyrs were canonized, and Pope Paul VI referred to the Anglican pages martyred for the same reason.

We must remain firm and well-grounded in our Faith, and must practice our Faith not only in proclaiming it, but living it. Clearly, there is a blind eye in today’s society to sexual deviancy, and in fact, individuals are encouraged to practice homosexual activities and various other deviant sexual activities because we live in a dictatorship of moral relativism. If a person opposes such behavior, they are called “homophobic” and are shunned and ridiculed. Nevertheless, we must continue to practice our Christian Faith, while still praying for all souls, that they come to Jesus Christ, especially those who are lost. We ask Our Lord Jesus to help us change our proclivities to sin, and to strengthen us in character and especially, in love for God who must come first in our lives.

Thank you dear St. Charles Lwanga and Companions for being our examples! We ask your intercession before the Triune God to help us live our lives as you did, with superb courage motivated by absolute Love of God.

Today, in concrete terms, an awareness of the dignity of each of our brothers and sisters whose life is sacred and inviolable from conception to natural death must lead us to share with complete freedom the goods which God’s providence has placed in our hands, material goods but also intellectual and spiritual ones, and to give back generously and lavishly whatever we may have earlier unjustly refused to others.

The account of Jesus and Zacchaeus teaches us that above and beyond economic and social systems and theories, there will always be a need to promote generous, effective and practical openness to the needs of others. Jesus does not ask Zacchaeus to change jobs nor does he condemn his financial activity; he simply inspires him to put everything, freely yet immediately and indisputably, at the service of others.

Consequently, I do not hesitate to state, as did my predecessors (cf. JOHN PAUL II,Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 42-43; Centesimus Annus, 43; BENEDICT XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 6; 24-40), that equitable economic and social progress can only be attained by joining scientific and technical abilities with an unfailing commitment to solidarity accompanied by a generous and disinterested spirit of gratuitousness at every level. A contribution to this equitable development will also be made both by international activity aimed at the integral human development of all the world’s peoples andby the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.

Consequently, while encouraging you in your continuing efforts to coordinate the activity of the international agencies, which represents a service to all humanity, I urge you to work together in promoting a true, worldwide ethical mobilization which, beyond all differences of religious or political convictions, will spread and put into practice a shared ideal of fraternity and solidarity, especially with regard to the poorest and those most excluded.

“equitable economic and social progress can only be attained by … the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State”

Really?

John Hayward of Human Events went to great pains and much mind-reading contortions to rationalize what Pope Francis really had said and what Pope Francis really means, that:

At the same time as Francis is calling for a wealth redistribution, he also calls for “an awareness of the dignity of each of our brothers and sisters whose life is sacred and inviolable from conception to natural death” — referring to abortion and euthanasia.

Francis calls for “a generous and disinterested spirit of gratuitousness at every level,” not just at the governmental level.

Francis’ idea of “legitimate” wealth redistribution is not what Hayward calls “a parasitic mega-government that enriches itself from the labor of honest citizens, and spends titanic amounts of money on endeavors that have nothing to do with alleviating desperate poverty.” [Really? How does Hayward know that?]

What Francis meant by the “poorest and those most excluded” who are deserving of charity is not what actually happens in America’s welfare state, wherein the ideology of “income inequality” has been appropriated “by arrogant leftists to claim the power to fine-tune middle-class salaries to meet their notion of ‘fairness.’” [Really? How does Hayward know that?]

This is the comment I wrote in response to Hayward:

I am a conservative Roman Catholic who loves my faith, and I am simply sick of this pope opening his big mouth time and again, necessitating conservative commentators like John Hayward to come to his rescue to “reinterpret” his words.

Mr. Hayward can rationalize what Pope Francis really said and meant until Hayward is blue in the face, but no explanation can ever remove these 9 damning words that the pope uttered: “the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State,” with emphasis on the last 3 words “by the State.”

With those 9 words, Francis has endorsed not only the Left’s welfare state but Socialism and Communism. In so doing, Francis is intruding into politics. Thus, the IRS should remove from the U.S. Catholic Church its tax-exempt non-profit status.

Et tu, Francis. Have you joined Caesar, against our birthright of freedom, given to us by God?

Knowledgeable Catholics know Pope Francis was not speaking “ex cathedra,” i.e., with infallibility, because this address does not pertain to fundamental church beliefs, doctrines and dogma. But the world gives his words authority because of who he is.

And here’s the account of Jesus and Zecchaeus from Luke 19:1-10. Note that Jesus commended Zecchaeus on his voluntary charity-giving to the poor. Nowhere is there mention of the welfare state, or of government’s enforced “charity” via confiscatory taxes, or of the illegitimate or “legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state”:

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.

And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Today, January 28th, we celebrate one of the most illustrious and influential Saints of the Catholic Church, St. Thomas Aquinas.

Thomas Aquinas is by far, the spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and divine revelation, being one of the greatest teachers of the Catholic Church, which is why he is named a Doctor of the Church and the Angelic Doctor.

Thomas was born in or about 1225, the youngest of four sons, in the castle of Rocca Secca, to Landulf, a knight, and to Theodora, his mother of Norman descent. At the age of five, his parents took him to the Benedictine Monastery at Monte Cassino, hoping that he would join this Order and rise to the position of abbot. In 1239, he went to the University of Naples in Italy, to study the arts and sciences, and it was through this experience that he became interested in Aristotle.

In or about 1243, Thomas joined the Dominicans, which was against his family’s desires. In fact, his mother ordered that his brothers capture Thomas. Accordingly, they did so and he actually remained at his home, wherein his family hoped to change his mind. You might say that he was put under “house arrest” because of his defiance. While he was imprisoned, he studied the Sentences of Peter Lombard and learned by heart a great portion of the Bible.

After two years, his family gave up and allowed Thomas to go back to his Order of the Dominicans. Thomas then went to Cologne, finishing his studies under St. Albert the Great. Thomas, being reserved and a humble man, was not very well liked by his colleagues. He was a large man, receiving the nickname of “the dumb Sicilian ox.” However, St. Albert, his professor, said this of Thomas, “We call Brother Thomas the ‘dumb ox'; but I tell you that he will yet make his lowingheard to the uttermost parts of the earth.” Thomas’ brilliance was exceeded by his piety, and after he had been ordained a priest, he became so very close and united with God.

In or about 1252, St. Albert and Cardinal Hugh of Saint-Cher insisted that Thomas go to the University of Paris to teach. Four years thereafter, he became a master and received his doctors chair. His duties included lecturing and preaching.

In or about 1259 to 1268, he was made Preacher General in Italy and taught in the school of selected scholars attached to the papal court, teaching also in other towns and cities in Italy.

His writings created harmony between faith and reason, between divine revelation and natural human knowledge. But Thomas was so in-depth a thinker and lover of God, that he was able to merge the two in his writings, seeing the whole natural order as coming from God, the Creator, and seeing reason as a gift from God to be used for His honor and glory. He wrote the Summa contraGentiles, a textbook for missionaries, a defense of natural theology against the Arabians, and the Summa theologiae, setting forth Catholic theology with faith and reason. And he wrote about the Angels of God using logic, wisdom and the Bible, which is why he is called, “the Angelic Doctor.”

In 1269, he went back to Paris, wherein St. Louis IX consulted him regularly with regard to important matters of state, as the king so respected Thomas. But the university referred an issue to him, a question upon which they were divided, whether in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar the accidents remained really or only in appearance. St. Thomas prayed fervently and with great love asked for direction from God. He wrote a treatise and laid it upon the altar before he submitted his answer publicly. Our Lord then appeared to St. Thomas saying to him, “Thou has written well of the Sacrament of My Body,”asking Thomas what He could give him as a reward. Thomas said, “I want only You, Lord, only You.” Oftentimes during Mass, especially during the Consecration of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus, Thomas would cry, sobbing, being so touched of his role as a priest, and of the precious love of Jesus, knowing that he was in the Real Presence of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

In or about 1272, Thomas was called back to Italy, being appointed regent of the study house at Naples. On the Feast of St. Nicholas the following year, he was celebrating Holy Mass, wherein he received a revelation that affected him so, that he did not write or dictate anymore, leaving the magnificent work of the Summa theologiae, unfinished. Thomas told Brother Reginald, “The end of my labors is come. All that I have written appears to be as so much straw after the things that have been revealed to me.”

Pope Gregory bid Thomas, although ill, to attend the general council at Lyons for the reunion of the Greek and Latin churches and to bring with him his work, “Against the Errors of the Greeks.” He became worse during his journey and was consequently taken to the Cistercian abbey of Fossa Nuova. He was lodged in the abbot’s room and the monks attended to him. After Thomas made his last confession receiving the Holy Eucharist from the abbot, he stated these famous words:

“I am receiving thee, Price of my soul’s redemption: all my studies, my vigils and my labors have been for love of thee. I have taught much and written much of the most sacred body of Jesus Christ; I have taught and written in the faith of Jesus Christ and of the holy Roman Church, to whose judgment I offer and submit everything.” Two days later, March 7, 1274, being about 50 years of age, he died. St. Albert who was in Cologne, burst into tears in front of his community and said, “Brother Thomas Aquinas, my son in Christ, the light of the Church, is dead. God has revealed it to me.”

St. Thomas was canonized in 1323, wherein his body lies in the cathedral of Saint-Sernin. St. Pius V conferred upon him the title of Doctor of the Church, and in 1880, Leo XIII declared him the patron saint of universities, colleges and schools.

Thomas’ theological and philosophical writings fill twenty thick volumes and he was the first to comment on Aristotle, whose teaching he utilized in order to build up a complete system of Christian philosophy. Indeed, his most important work was the Summa theologiae, the most thorough and full exposition of theological teaching ever given to the world. This work was one of the three reference works used at the Council of Trent, the other two being the Bible and Pontifical Decrees.

His achievements were not just attributed to his incredible writings. When Pope Urban IV, influenced by the visions of Blessed Juliana of Liege, decided to institute the Feast of Corpus Christi, he deferred to St. Thomas to compose the liturgical office and the Mass for the day, wherein Thomas showed his remarkable expression, known for doctrinal accuracy as for their tenderness of thought. Famous hymns, Pange lingua, O salutaris and Tantum ergo, written by Thomas, are regularly sung at Benediction.

In spite of his greatness, he thought the best of others, thinking they were better than him, being extremely modest whilst he stated his opinion. He did not lose his temper in an argument and was extremely poised.

St. Thomas Aquinas has always been one of my favorite saints. Whilst I was in high school studying philosophy, I would take books home containing his writings. I was drawn to these books, so I did not go out with my friends because I would rather stay home with St. Thomas and read what he said in my cozy bedroom. In fact, though they were kidding, my friends called me a “wallflower” because of my devotion to St. Thomas. I would laugh and tell them that they did not know what they were missing, and that at some point, they might understand. . .

It is my childlike vision in my mind’s eye that sees a great celebration in Heaven today for our dear and great St. Thomas Aquinas! We love and respect you! We hope to some day be with you in Our Lord’s heaven, and maybe you can teach us there too! God be praised for this great and holy man!

Today, January 10th, the universal Church celebrates St. Gregory of Nyssa, a fourth century thinker, philosopher and theologian (330-95). He was raised by his older brother, the wonderful St. Basil the Great, and his sister, Macrina, in what is now called Turkey.

He became a professor of rhetoric, but decided to devote his learning and talents to the Church. He was ordained a priest and appointed the Bishop of Nyssa (lower Armenia) in 372, defending the Council of Nicea, from which came the Nicene Creed, from the heresies of his time, including the Arian heresy which denied the divinity of Christ. He produced numerous sermons and letters on the Scriptures, was an original thinker and theologian, being especially familiar with Platonism.

In our Catholic Study Group, we studied one of St. Gregory’s ascetical writings, On What It Means to Call Oneself a Christian (De Professione Christiana), which is absolutely thought-provoking and brilliant. The purpose of this work is to set forth the foundation for the attainment of holiness by following in the footsteps of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As Father John A. Hardon, S.J. set out in his commentary, “Since He is the Incarnate Son of God in human form, the virtues He practiced on earth were the attributes of God lived out in recordable history. . . Gregory shows how important is sound doctrine in the faith, especially faith in Christ as true God and true man, as the precondition for achieving holiness.”

In the De Professione Christiana, in discussing what is meant by the term, Christian, St. Gregory states in part, the following:

If, therefore, someone puts on the name of Christ, but does not exhibit in his life what is indicated by the term, such a person belies the name and puts on a lifeless mask. . .For it is not possible for Christ not to be justice and purity and truth and estrangement from all evil, nor is it possible to be a Christian, that is, truly a Christian, without displaying in oneself a participation in these virtues. If one can give a definition of Christianity, we shall define it as follows: Christianity is an imitation of the divine nature. . .

. . .Therefore, the One who orders us to imitate our Father orders us to separate ourselves from earthly passions, and this is a separation which does not come about through a change of place, but is achieved only through choice. . .

. . .For just as we are, in accordance with our nature, accomplish little in making our deposit because we are what we are, so, also, it is likely that the one who is rich in every way will give to the depositor a return which reflects His nature. So let no one be discouraged when he brings into the divine treasury, what is in keeping with his own power, assuming that he will go off with what corresponds to the amount he has given, but let him anticipate, according to the Gospel which says he will receive in exchange large for small, the heavenly for the earthly, the eternal for the temporal, such things as are not able to be grasped by thought or explained by word, concerning which: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those who love him.”

St. Gregory is known as the defender of orthodoxy, and was sent on missions to counter other heresies and held a position of importance during the Council of Constantinople. Indeed and in fact, “St. Gregory contributes to the mystical tradition in Christian spirituality. . .”

St. Gregory, please help us on our journey, to be real Christians, to examine ourselves daily, to convert ourselves daily with the guidance and assistance of the Church, and to love and trust God completely; our upcoming eternal lives depend on our choices. . .

Respectfully,

Joan

Sources:

The Treasury of Catholic Wisdom, Edited and with an Introduction by John A. Hardon, S.J., 1995 Ignatius Press;

A Good Catholic Joke

The Pope leans towards Mr. Obama and said, “Do you know that with one little wave of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display, but will go deep into their hearts and they’ll forever speak of this day and rejoice!”

Obama replied, “I seriously doubt that! With one little wave of your hand….Show me!”
So the Pope backhanded him and knocked him off the stage!

FOTM, therefore, is paying homage to this saint by re-publishing joandarc’s post from last year. :)

Today, September 17th, is the Feast Day of a most remarkable man, St. RobertBellarmine.

He was born on October 4, 1542, in Montepulciano near Siena, Italy. He had an excellent education, being schooled in the humanities, theology and philosophy, ordained a Jesuit priest on March 25, 1570. He was a Professor of Theology at Louvain and was summoned to teach at the Roman College as the Chair of Apologetics. He is affectionaly known as the Patron Saint of Catechists and Apologists, having approached with charity, reason and thorough analysis, the heresies of his day. He was made a Cardinal on March 3, 1599 and appointed the Papal Theologian by Pope Clement VIII, and on March 18, 1602, he was appointed the Archbishop of Capua. He composed varous books on spirituality, on the Church and the Mystical Body of Christ. Pope Benedict XVI tells us that, “Since as a priest and bishop he was first and foremost a pastor of souls, he felt it was his duty to preach diligently.” He gave hundreds of sermons. Pope Benedict XVI further tells us that the “hallmark of Bellarmine’s spirituality is his vivid personal perception of God’s immense goodness. This is why our Saint truly felt he was a beloved Son of God. It was a source of great joy to him to pause in recollection, with serenity and simplicity, in prayer and contemplation of God.”

What is most important is that Bellarmine taught that we must center on our own pesonal conversion in order to reform our lives so that we are pleasing to God.

Rev. John C. Rager, S.T.D., stated to Professor David A. Schaff in defense of Bellarmine, that “the Congressional Library still possesses a copy of Patriarcha, a book which once stood on the library shelf of Thomas Jefferson. Patriarcha, was written by Robert Filmer, the privage theologian of James I of England in defense of the Divine Right of Kings and principally in refutation to the Jesuit Cardinal Bellarmine’s political principles of popular sovereignty.”

Father Rager provides us some interesting parallels, clause for clause, of the American Declaration of Independence and Bellarmine’s statments, to-wit:

With regard to the equaity of men:

Declaration of Independence: “All men are created equal; they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”

Bellarmine: “All men are equal, not in wisdom or grace, but in the essence and nature of mankind” (De Laicis,” c.7). “There is no reason why among equals one should rule rather than another.” (Ibid.) “Let rulers remember that they preside over men who are of the same nature as they themselves” (De Officus Princ.” c.22). “Political right is immediately from God and necessarily inherent in the nature of man” (De Laicia” c. 6, note 1).

With regard to the function of government:

Declaration of Independence: “To secure these rights governments are instituted among men.”

Bellarmine: “It is impossible for men to live together without someone to care for the common good. Men must be governed by someone lest they be willing to perish” (De Laicia,” c.6).

With regard to the source of power:

Declaration of Independence: “Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Bellarmine: “It depends upon the consent of the multitude to constitute over itself a king, consul, or other magistrate. This power is, indeed, from God, but vested in a particular ruler by the counsel and election of men” (De Laicis, c. 6, notes 4 and 5). “The people themselves immediately and directly hold the political power” (De Clericis, c. 7).

With regard to the right to change the government:

Declaration of Independence: “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government. . .Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient reasons.”

Bellarmine: “For legitimate reasons the people can change the government to an aristocracy or a democracy or vice versa” (De Laicis, c. 6). “The people never transfers its power to a king so completely but that it reserves to itself the right of receiving back the power” (Recognitio de Laicis, c. 6).

And says Father Rager:

“If Jefferson ever read as many as four pages of this book, he read on the fourth page, the following:

Four times Bellarmine’s name is mentioned in bold print on this contents page of Patriarcha. The first chapter of Patriarcha is again prefaced with its table of contents and Bellarmine’s name appears on it three times. Then, if Jefferson read the first lines of the chapter he read this:

‘Since the time that school divinity began to flourish there hath been a common opinion maintained. Mankind is naturally endowed and born with Freedom, and at liberty to choose what form of Government it please. And that the Power which any one Man hath over others, was at first bestowed according to the discretion of the Multitude.’

If Jefferson ever read as many as four pages of this book, he read on the fourth page the following:

‘To make evidence the Grounds of this Question, about the Natural Liberty of Mankind, I will lay down some passages of Cardinal Bellarmine, that may best unfold the State of this controversie. Secular or Civil Power is instituted by man; it is in the people, unless they bestow it on a Prince. This Power is immediately in the whole Multitude, as in the subject of it; for the Power is in Divine Law, but the Divine Law hath given this Power to no particular man. If the Positive Law be taken away, there is left no Reason why amongst a Multitude (who are Equal) one rather than another should bear Rule over the Rest. It depends upon the Consent of the Multitude to ordain over themselves a King, Counsel, or other Magistrates; and if there be a lawful cause the multitude may change the Kingdom into an Aristocracy or Democracy. Thus, far, Bellarmine, in which passages are coprised the strength of all that I have read or heard produced for the Natural Liberty of the Subject.’ “

And Father Rager asks, “Would not Jefferson, who was seeking a formulation of “the natural liberties of the subject,” be attracted to read and re-read this quotation from Bellarmine which “comprised the strength of all that had ever been produced for the natural liberty of the subject?” And does not the American Declaration reflect strikingly this very passage of Bellarmine quoted by Filmer and lying open before the eyes of Jefferson?”

We will never actually be able to confirm or deny if Jefferson ever read the original works of St. Robert Bellarmine. However, in the Library of Princeton University there was, according to Father Rager, “a copy of Cardinal Bellarmine’s works in the days of Jefferson. James Madison, a member of the committee which drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights was a graduate of Princeton in 1771 and certainly had access to Bellarmine’s works.”

Pope Benedict XVI tells us that Bellarmine “died in Rome on 17 September 1621. Pope Pius XI beatified him in 1923, canonized him in 1930 and proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1931.”

One cannot help but find noteworthy the similarities in thought as set out above. Happy Feast Day to you, Dear St. Robert Bellarmine! I implore you to interecede for the people of America before the throne of the Triune God to help our country be rid of its present tyranny, of its present war on people of faith lodged by this administration, of its present war on the culture of life where millions and millions of innocent children have lost their lives to legalized abortion on demand. We need your help Great Saint!